Administration implements additional passing period

Students+use+passing+periods+to+move+to+their+next+classes+and+to+catch+up+with+friends.

Sara Ledesma

Students use passing periods to move to their next classes and to catch up with friends.

A new school year brings a new rule, and this year that rule comes in the form of an extra passing period.

The school district was previously required to provide a specific number of school days, rather than a set amount of minutes. Following a change in policy, schools must now account for the number of minutes per school year. To meet this new requirement, an additional passing period was implemented between second and activity period.

“We needed five more minutes in every school day so that we would be compliant with the state law of having 75,600 minutes a year,” Principal Tim Gilliland said. “When we added five minutes, it got us over that mark.”

It gives everybody just a little break.

— Principal Tim Gilliland

The passing period not only meets state requirements, but gives students a chance to step away from their classes.

“I hope it allows our students some time to get to get up and move around, but also be in the next spot where they need to be, so they can make good use of activity period,” Gilliland said. “We hope that this is a positive thing for our kids and even our teachers. It gives everybody just a little break.”